Polaris Sector - another new space 4x

[OJsDad]

FYI, it's a 470MB patch. 

[FarAway Sooner]

Very cool!  I've always loved this title.  I applaud all the features they've added:  It's all top-priority stuff and should make an already excellent title even better.

The only patch I was hoping for was a little simplification of the research tree.  I like the research system, but each component I might want to put on a ship has so many dependencies that it proves impossible to navigate.  I love the way the technology research informs the game, I just wish I could manage it a little better.

I'm thrilled that the fleet builder is out.  I look forward to some reports on how well it works!

[goldsboro]

The research simplification is also there. But I guess this is just not a kind of modification they usually announce.

[Jarhead0331]

I've been wanting to jump back in, now seems like the perfect time.  I'm really excited to try the Fleet design/build options.  Could never figure out why others haven't done this before.

Master of Orion 3 had a fleet designer. Another innovation from the title that gets overlooked.

[Yskonyn]

Found out it is 50% off at the moment! Picked it up.

[OJsDad]

I've been wanting to jump back in, now seems like the perfect time.  I'm really excited to try the Fleet design/build options.  Could never figure out why others haven't done this before.

Master of Orion 3 had a fleet designer. Another innovation from the title that gets overlooked.

Yep.  You had to have pickets, escorts, and core ships. 

My biggest complaint about Distant Worlds and Stellaris was the lack of fleet design/build options.  I think Stellaris will get this option at some point, and the way they do combat it should work.  DW, combat was just a furball and fleet designs and purpose built ships wouldn't do much good. 

[solops]

After patching I started a game on a 800 star square map with 2.25 warp lanes per star, 9 opponents, the Challenge difficulty level, useful planets to 66%, wormholes to 50% and a -75% research speed reduction. Great Scott, what an epic struggle! It is 3031 (game starts in 2048) and I just deployed my first 4 DDs! The Urgan ba---rds attacked me after most of the races made contact. I lost 20% of my turf before I could rally and push him back. It might have been worse if I had not been able to get two other races to attack him on a sporadic basis. War with only corvettes and frigates is hairy due to their fragility and limed range. Mineral management is always in crisis and food supply is a constant worry, especially when the Urgans sneak a cloaked bomber into the rear and bomb an ocean food planet. This is the most fun I have had in a couple of years. The new game set-up parameters are super. My wife is getting pi--ed, something about me having "disappeared". I love this game. I have been up until 3AM two of the last three nights. Almost 100 years in and the borders are back to where they started, though they are a little "harder" now  :)

[Barthheart]

 O0

[Jarhead0331]

After patching I started a game on a 800 star square map with 2.25 warp lanes per star, 9 opponents, the Challenge difficulty level, useful planets to 66%, wormholes to 50% and a -75% research speed reduction. Great Scott, what an epic struggle! It is 3031 (game starts in 2048) and I just deployed my first 4 DDs! The Urgan ba---rds attacked me after most of the races made contact. I lost 20% of my turf before I could rally and push him back. It might have been worse if I had not been able to get two other races to attack him on a sporadic basis. War with only corvettes and frigates is hairy due to their fragility and limed range. Mineral management is always in crisis and food supply is a constant worry, especially when the Urgans sneak a cloaked bomber into the rear and bomb an ocean food planet. This is the most fun I have had in a couple of years. The new game set-up parameters are super. My wife is getting pi--ed, something about me having "disappeared". I love this game. I have been up until 3AM two of the last three nights. Almost 100 years in and the borders are back to where they started, though they are a little "harder" now  :)

Yup. Find me another 4x game where intergalactic wars rage on for centuries! Polaris Sector really is an epic title that somehow manages to capture the scope, scale and magic of running a space empire with all the implications of the unfathomable infinity of time and of the void. So few titles have accomplished this so successfully.

I've also put at least 4 or 5 more hours into this game since the beta update hit. I'm preparing to attack those damn birds that have prevented my from expanding beyond the 39 star systems I presently control. I've recently designed a new class of carrier outfitted to employ interceptors and new battle cruiser with the latest in beam, energy and missile systems. i just need to finish training my legions of tanks, MArines and ground support craft that will make the push to expand the Human empire! They are all eager to draw blood! 

[JudgeDredd]

ffs. Thanks guys 

[FarAway Sooner]

The research simplification is also there. But I guess this is just not a kind of modification they usually announce.

That is cool.  I'd love to hear if anybody else has impressions of those changes?  Is research any more transparent/manageable now?

[Jarhead0331]

I finally declared war on those annoying birds. My fleet combat philosophy is centered upon heavy carrier class ships equipped with squadrons of interceptors, supported by large powerful multi purpose frigates all protected by smaller corvette class vessels dedicated to anti fighter and missile defense. I find this combo is useful at combating enemies who prefer engaging in battle with capital ships and those who prefer to rely on fighter class craft. The birds prefer the later. Some of their systems were defended by well over 500 fighters. Advanced rapid firing UV lasers made quick work of them. We took losses but overall it was a slaughter and one by one we gained space superiority over their planets.

Next came the invasion. I need to work on my strategy here. I was prepared for massive wave assault type invasions and in some instances this kind of disparity in numbers was important. On the bird homeworld my invasion forces took near catastrophic losses on the way down. I believe this was due to the presence of fighters assigned to planetary defense. I had not incorporated any of my own into the invasion force OOB. This world took over 30 years to subdue and had to be reinforced 4 times during the battle.

So now I must decide to either continue pressing the attack, deep into enemy space and far from my own lines of supply, or be satisfied now that my short term objectives have been satisfied. I'll need to rearm, refit and reorganize my forces before moving deeper into their territory, or before challenging an ally of the birds who put their chips into the fight after I declared war. Intergalactic warfare sure is nasty business. But it is glorious to be sure.

[bbmike]

I finally declared war on those annoying birds. My fleet combat philosophy is cemtered upon heavy carrier class ships equipped with squadrons of interceptors, supported by large powerful multi purpose frigates all protected by smaller corvette class vessels dedicated to anti fighter and missile defense. I find this combo is useful at combating enemies who prefer engaging in battle with capital ships and those who prefer to rely on fighter class craft. The birds prefer the later. Some of their systems were defended by well over 500 fighters. Advanced rapid firing UV lasers made quick work of them. We took losses but overall it was a slaughter and one by one we gained space superiority over their planets.

Next came the invasion. I need to work on my strategy here. I was prepared for massive wave assault type invasions and in some instances this kind of disparity in numbers was important. On the bird homeworld my invasion forces took near catastrophic losses on the way down. I believe this was due to the presence of fighters assigned to planetary defense. I had not incorporated any of my own into the invasion force OOB. This world took over 30 years to subdue and had to be reinforced 4 times during the battle.

So now I must decide to either continue pressing the attack, deep into enemy space and far from my own lines of supply, or be satisfied now that my short term objectives have been satisfied. I'll need to rearm, refit and reorganize my forces before moving deeper into their territory, or before challenging an ally of the birds who put their chips into the fight after I declared war. Intergalactic warfare sure is nasty business. But it is glorious to be sure.

[mikeck]

Last time I played I attacked an enemy planet and brought along a whole transport fleet loaded with troops, tanks, and attack aircraft. The enemy defenses destroyed about half my marines in descent and used their fighters to shred my bombers. He reinforced, I reinforced. It became a 10 year race where each side tried to deliver more reinforcements. Like Guadalcanal. Finally I managed to get my fleet back to a main world, load up on new troops and fighters to protect my attack craft and overwhelmed him. It's just fun to have ground combat that isn't over in a turn or decided at the instant you land

[OJsDad]

One thing I haven't figured out yet, how to upgrade ships.